Guatemalan Bucket List

When you arrive in Guatemala, you probably have no idea how many activities and places to visit that await you. We’ve made a list of the places to go and things to do that every good tourist should experience here in the Land of Eternal Springtime. We begin this series with the five most popular.

Laguna LachuáLocation: Departamento of Alta VerapazLaguna Lachuá is a small lake (actually a cenote) surrounded by lush jungle. It’s thought to be the collapsed remains of an old salt dome. The color of the water – and the effects of the sunrises and sunsets on it – is one of the most important reasons to visit… that and being able to take pictures that will leave the viewer breathless. There’s a good reason that this place has been called “the mirror of heaven.”

Volcán de FuegoLocation: Between the Departamentos of Chimaltenango, Escuintla, and SacatepéquezVolcán de Fuego (which even appears with an accompanying puff of smoke on the official colonial coat of arms of the city of La Antigua) is one of the most active – if not the single most active – volcano in Guatemala. For those who enjoy challenges and outdoor activities that are accompanied by adrenaline and spectacular views, Volcán de Fuego is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country.

Lake AtitlánLocation: Departamento of SololáRelaxing along the shoreline of a beautiful lake and delving into the daily life of craftspeople – while you enjoy a contemporary bohemian atmosphere – is what you’ll inevitably do in Panajachel. From there, you can also visit the villages located around the famous Lake Atitlán.

TikalLocation: Departamento of PeténLocated an hour from the island city of Flores, the capital of the departamento of Petén, Tikal National Park welcomes you from 6 AM to 6 PM daily. Here – in what was one of the most majestic cities of the pre-Columbian era in the Americas – you’ll witness the history of Mayan civilization. At its peak, Tikal had 60,000 inhabitants living in the complex – an area larger than 16 km2 (6 square miles).

Semuc ChampeyLocation: Departamento of Alta VerapazSemuc Champey – whose name means “where the river hides in the mountains” – is one of the most amazing places that you’ll ever see. Imagine a tropical forest surrounding shallow pools of turquoise water (2-3 meters or 6-10 feet deep), a natural limestone bridge (over 300 meters – or almost 1,000 feet – long) underneath which the Cahabón River flows, and the opportunity to visualize all this from an observation point 50 meters (about 165 feet) high. This is a spectacular place and should not be missed.